Tory MP Andrew Bridgen loses whip over ‘dangerous’ Covid vaccine claims

The Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen has lost the party whip after comparing the use of Covid vaccines to the Holocaust, the latest in a series of recent anti-vaccine statements he has made.

Tweeting a graph from Zero Hedge, a libertarian and conspiracy theory website, which purported to show the health risks from Covid vaccines, Bridgen wrote: “As one consultant cardiologist said to me this is the biggest crime against humanity since the holocaust.”

The tweet is among a series of social media messages, and direct messages to journalists, that the North West Leicestershire MP has sent in recent weeks, baselessly arguing that the Covid vaccines seriously harm health.

Responding to the suspension, Labour questioned why it took so long given the extent of Bridgen’s public support for vaccine conspiracy theories.

Simon Hart, the Conservative chief whip, said: “Andrew Bridgen has crossed a line, causing great offence in the process. As a nation we should be very proud of what has been achieved through the vaccine programme.

“The vaccine is the best defence against Covid that we have. Misinformation about the vaccine causes harm and costs lives. I am therefore removing the whip from Andrew Bridgen with immediate effect, pending a formal investigation.”

On Tuesday, anti-vaccine protesters at Westminster tube station held up a sign saying: “Thank you Andrew Bridgen.”

Karen Pollock, the chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said Bridgen’s tweet was “highly irresponsible, wholly inappropriate and an elected politician should know better”.

Anneliese Dodds, the Labour chair, said: “Andrew Bridgen has been spreading dangerous misinformation on Covid vaccines for some time now. He could have been disciplined weeks ago.

“To invoke the Holocaust, as he did today, is utterly shameful, but it should never have reached this point.”

Andrew Percy, the Conservative MP who is vice-chair of the all-party group against antisemitism, called the comment “disgusting”. Asked by Times Radio if Bridgen should be allowed to stand again, Percy said: “ I don’t think anybody who believes this kind of crap should, but that’s a matter for the whips not for me.”

John Mann, the former Labour MP who is now a non-affiliated peer and the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, said Bridgen should not be allowed to stand again as a Tory.

“There is no possibility that Bridgen can be allowed to stand at the next election,” he said. “He cannot claim that he didn’t realise the level of offence that his remarks cause.”

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Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, said: “This is truly revolting.

“This is dangerous misinformation that should not be spouted by a member of parliament. Wild conspiracy theories and incredibly offensive comparisons to the Holocaust have no place in British society, let alone parliament. Andrew Bridgen must apologise for this disgusting remark.”

Christian Wakeford, the Labour MP for Bury South, who was formerly a Conservative, tweeted: “Fake news and scaremongering on vaccines is bad enough but to invoke the Holocaust during the month of Holocaust Memorial Day is despicable. When is it enough for the Tories to withdraw the whip?”

Bridgen, an MP since 2010, is serving a five-day suspension from the Commons for a separate issue after he was found to have breached rules on paid lobbying and declaring interests.

Bridgen was found to have repeatedly broken the MPs’ code of conduct by a cross-party committee, which endorsed findings from Kathryn Stone, the parliamentary commissioner for standards. He was unsuccessful in an attempt to overturn the recommendation in December and a motion was approved by parliament on Monday.

Bridgen was contacted for comment.